So do biofuels. I meant, of course, in a commercially, viable manner. — Benkei
I think he meant fusion. — Mongrel
So long as you consider massive subsidies and destruction of primary forest habitats "commercially viable", which it certainly is if you are in receipt of the handouts.
Oh, and if you don't care about the increase in CO2 over simply burning coal. — tom
I believe shale methane hasn't reached peak yet. And last I recall there is something like 200 years worth for the US to run off in the country alone. Also, shale oil/gas is a US innovation that hasn't yet taken hold of the rest of the world due to limiting the tech to the US to benefit initially from it the most last I recall. — Question
Not in the manner you describe. The idea behind biofuels is to use biomass and catalytically convert it to fuels. the biomass is quickly replanted and regrown and therefore "captures" the CO2 released from burning the biofuels. In essence, nothing more than speeding up the process by which fossil fuels are created naturally. CO2 capture and catalytic conversion to methanol/ethanol is the same principle. — Benkei
Shale oil is not a US innovation. It predates the US by a couple of hundred years. — Benkei
I described the facts behind biofuels - increased CO2, forest and habitat destruction, subsidies, but forgot to mention the inevitable increase in food prices. What you describe is the fantasy. — tom
The whole modern world economy is a result of inexpensive oil, and there is nothing that can "fill its shoes". — Bitter Crank
allegedly "clean" — aletheist
that kind of expression plays right into the hands of petro-chemical industry scare-mongering. — Wayfarer
If we covered the entire world in windmills I don't know what the effect would actually be. — VagabondSpectre
The point is that "clean" and "renewable" are buzzwords implying that anything that avoids burning fossil fuels is inherently and unquestionably less damaging to the environment. I am not convinced that we know this to be a fact at this moment in history. For one thing, no form of energy is literally renewable; it is different energy that we capture over time from the sun, wind, waves, etc.; not the same energy over and over. — aletheist
I think 'avoiding burning fossil fuels' should unquestionably be a major policy goal. — Wayfarer
I worry about anything that is characterized as "unquestionable," especially in the realm of public policy. — aletheist
Wind turbines slow the movement of air that was set into motion by mostly atmospheric pressure — VagabondSpectre
Nuclear energy is filthy — VagabondSpectre
I also drive a hybrid vehicle — aletheist
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